JioStar breaks records as India-Pakistan clash attracts 20.6 crore viewers
What's the story
JioStar has set incredible milestones in live sports event broadcasting, with the India vs Pakistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 becoming a record-breaking affair.
Dubbed as the "Greatest Rivalry," the clash drew an impressive 20.6 crore TV viewers and racked up a staggering 2,609 crore minutes of viewing time.
The match now stands as the second most-watched cricket match in BARC history, excluding World Cup matches.
Record-breaking viewership
Viewership surpasses previous records
The latest ICC Champions Trophy match on February 23 beat the viewership of the last India-Pakistan 50-over match from the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
The Dubai match ratings were approximately 11% higher than the Ahmedabad ODI World Cup match in 2023.
This is a huge feat for JioStar, as it continues to shatter records with its live sports broadcasts.
Fan engagement
JioStar's commitment to enhancing fan experience
A JioStar - Sports spokesperson in a media statement stated that they are committed to improving India's experience of major sporting events.
"JioStar is scaling new heights as far as India's experience of marquee sporting events is concerned," they said.
Further, they emphasized their commitment to "serving fans, deepening fandom and recruiting new cohorts," highlighting the company's focus on engaging with sports enthusiasts across the country.
Pre-match highlights
Star Sports's engaging pre-match content
Star Sports offered riveting pre-match content for the India-Pakistan clash, with special shows like "Thank You Pakistan... Jeetega Hindustan" featuring cricket legends Navjot Singh Sidhu, Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, and Inzamam-Ul-Haq.
The match day coverage began at 8:00 am with "Dil Se India," and Oaksmith Cricket Live drew another 2.2 crore viewers apart from the main match audience.
These efforts played a huge role in the record-breaking viewership of this much-anticipated event.
Upcoming final
India's final against New Zealand on March 9
The 2025 Champions Trophy is coming to an end, with India taking on New Zealand in the final on March 09.
This is another chance for Team India to clinch victory after their ICC T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
The final will be covered from 8:00 am IST across the JioStar network, promising another thrilling day for cricket fans across the nation.
Match recap
India claim their third win over Pakistan in Champions Trophy
As mentioned, India hammered Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The Men in Blue successfully chased down 242 after they bowled out Pakistan.
India's win was powered by ton-up Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya shared five wickets to derail Pakistan.
India now have three wins against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
Overall, India now enjoy a 11-3 lead over Pakistan in ICC ODI tournament matches.